STRUTHERS Stunning first half helps key Hubbard past Wildcats, 43-7

Tony Giancola ran for 231 yards as the Eagles took a 36-0 halftime lead.
By GREG GULAS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
STRUTHERS -- Tony Giancola rushed for 231 yards and a touchdown, and the visiting Hubbard offense racked up 501 yards of total offense in a 43-7 win over Struthers.
"We know that Struthers is a tough place to play, but we still expect to come out and perform to the best of our abilities each and every game," Eagle head coach Jeff Bayuk said. "Our play in the first half was something that I didn't even expect.
Eagles erupt early
The Eagles (2-0) jumped out early, taking an 8-0 lead on a 2-yard TD run by Ben Lane, followed by a conversion run by quarterback Bryan Joyce.
Giancola, who had four runs of 32-plus yards on the night, then scored on an eight-yard run at the 4:58 mark as the Eagles built a 15-0 lead.
"We felt that we had to make a statement early by running the ball," Bayuk said. "Our offensive line is a real strength for us this season. It's one of the best lines that I have had during my time with the Eagle football program."
After Hubbard's defense forced a Struthers punt, Joyce wasted no time as he connected with Todd Coonce on a 50-yard pass on the first play of the ensuing series.
Wildcats' mistakes
Struthers head coach Pete Pirone, Jr., whose wife Debbie gave birth to the couple's first child (daughter, Kara) this past Wednesday, said his team has made too many mistakes in its first three games.
"We're just not playing well as a team right now, while penalties and turnovers at crucial times have been costly for us," he said. "We need to prove that we can throw with some consistency early in the game, and then things will open up for us. We need to be more disciplined with the little things as a team right now."
Lane, who had 67 yards on 11 carries for the night, scored his second touchdown from four yards out at the 3:04 mark of the second period and when Joyce connected with Russell Hawkins on a 30-yard strike with 1:29 remaining in the half, Hubbard built a 36-0 lead at intermission.
Dominated first half
After the first 24 minutes of play, the Eagles held a lopsided 403-78 margin in total offense. The game marked the return of former Struthers coach Gary Zetts, who was hired as an assistant at Hubbard in the offseason.
"This was a tough week for Coach Zetts," said Bayuk. "He has known their kids a lot longer than our kids so it was tough on him all week.
"We're just thrilled, however, to have him on our staff. What coach Zetts has brought to our program is a 1-2 punch in our running game, and a knockout punch in our passing game."
Joel Younkins' one-yard scamper at the 8:40 mark of the third quarter increased the Eagle margin to 43-0. But the Hubbard defense saw its scoreless streak snapped at seven quarters when Wildcat quarterback Mike Duponty hit Matt Kukura with a four-yard pass with 4:41 remaining in the game.
Big rushing night
Joyce was 8 of 10 through the air for 149 yards. Hubbard had 352 yards rushing on 45 carries, an average of 7.8 yards per carry.
Struthers (0-3) had 163 total yards of offense on the night, 105 on the ground. Justin Benson carried the ball 15 times for 58 yards to lead the Wildcats.